Kanthapura A Novel of Indian Freedom Movement

  Kanthapura A Novel of Indian Freedom Movement

Gandhiji’s impact on the novelist Raja Ram is quite obvious (clear/evident) and it is also reflected in the whole novel ‘Kanthapura’ through his mouthpiece character ‘Moorthy’ and even though several other ways.

 After reading a few pages of this novel, the action of the novel catches speed in one direction that is Freedom Movement of India, the mainstream of the novel.

Raja Rao was born in Gandhiji’s era, so he had a deep impact of Gandhian ideology in his mind.

 

Gandhiji’s role in India’s Freedom Movement attracts even foreign reputed minds. So he is one among the main freedom fighters of his times.

 

Raja Rao had all these points in his mind while creating Moorthy’s character in this novel. As Moorthy is introduced, a very good image of him is formed in the reader’s mind. He begins his role following the footsteps of Gandhiji by practising his ideal’s great principles of life, i.e. love for truth, justice, and non-violence.

 

He left his higher education and dedicated his life to making the people aware of Gandhiji’s Freedom Movement. He observed fast not to attract people’s attention, but to purify his soul out of the guilt that people resorted to violence because of him.

 

He gets mixed up with people, who were victims of caste division and the social evils of untouchability, and ill-treatment given to the widows. He goes from one door to the other just to inspire the people of the Pariah caste to do something for their upliftment.

He distributes ‘charkhas’ to them so that they may make threads and sell them to add to their livelihood. He tells them how the British are exploiting them economically, socially, politically, and mentally also.

 His own mother turns insane and dies because of his decision not to stop getting mixed up with the Pariahs. He suffers much mental pain due to all that, but every time he emerges as a stronger person, capable of moving ahead overpowering all odd that impede his way.

 He continues his task of making people aware of Gandhiji’s ideas and inspiring them to take part in the freedom movement of India.

 When Moorthy was arrested for anti-British Rule activities in India, not only the women but also the men of Kanthapura come forward to take Moorthy’s task ahead. A ‘Sevika Sangh’ was formed in Kanthapura.  

 Several activities like ‘Don’t Touch the Government Campaign’ , Gandhiji’s Dandi Yatra’, and picketing of the ‘Boranna’s Toddy grove’ were supported. The police arrested several ‘satyagrahis’ and inflicted torture on them, but it did not deter (stop) people from their aim to free India.

 Moorthy taught his people Gandhian ideals of non-violence to stick to it under every odd condition. He spread the message that only homemade clothes be used. No foreign material should be bought and used. People arranged 'Prabhat-Pheris' and sang bhajans in temples in Gandhiji’s praise.

The novelist has shown Kanthapura in this novel India at a micro-scale. Whatever was happening at Kanthapura was also happening everywhere in India. The people of Kanthapura got so much attached to Moorthy that they were bear all tortures inflicted on them by the police force. They forgot all of their social, economic, and religious boundaries.

 Thus the novelist depicts Kanthapura as India in miniature form, where one may watch the Freedom Movement going on with the same enthusiasm and fearlessness as it was continuing elsewhere in India.